From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Gun production, including tooling, the use of sub-contractors, and materials for barrels.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 175\3\ img041 | |
| Date | 8th August 1940 | |
| - 2 - Cont'd.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} EM.9/ML.8.8.40. The planning and tooling of the gun would also go forward, as would the brochure giving an outline of how approximately 25 guns per week would be produced, using sub-contractors as far as possible. However, 25 per week was a considerable output and it was exceedingly doubtful if it could be attained without supplying the sub-contractors with some machine tool equipment. The advantage of putting the equipment with sub-contractors and not in a new factory was, that sub-contractors had the necessary talent to use the equipment as soon as they received it. Mr. Ashworth commented on the fact that he had to find 600 milling machines for the manufacture of the Oerlikon gun and, since the production of this gun was straining their capacity to the utmost, it was most improbable that any machine tool equipment could be released. Mr. Hives said that they could try sub-contracting in the States but that it took time to get pieces made satisfactorily at so great a distance. It was agreed that the release of dollars for buying such pieces could be arranged and that therefore enquiries for the necessary machining capacity could be put in hand immediately. The question of barrel production, both forging and machining, was raised as being a major problem and Mr. Ashworth said that he believed that any number likely to be required, up to 25 per week, could be taken care of by the existing production facilities for 2-pounder Mark 8. spare barrels. Mr. Robotham stressed that the barrels had to be made of a very high tensile nickel chrome molybdenum steel (up to the present, Vibrac) owing to their lightness, and that this material requires special handling. - Continued - | ||